o escape. Bob understood in a moment. They returned to the rail and
first one, then the other let himself quietly down, holding to the rope.
Jeremy slipped into the water last.

Luckily they could both swim, though the sloop was so near the beach
that swimming was hardly necessary. The tall ex-pirate crawled out upon
the sand in the lead and they followed him quickly over a dune and
across another creek. They were now far enough away for their flight to
be unheard and Job began to run, the boys close behind him. They made a
good mile to the south before he allowed his panting runaways to stop
for breath. There in the reeds beside a narrow estuary, they came upon a
small dinghy, pulled up. The seaman ran the boat into the water, bundled
the boys into the bottom astern, and was quickly pulling down stream
along the sharp windings of the creek.

When they had put three miles of sand and water behind them, Job rested
on his oars to catch his breath. His voice came through the hot dark,
pantingly. "Lucky you stood up an' came to the rail the way you did,
lad," he said. "I didn't know just how I was to reach you. When you came
to the side I could see it was a boy, an' knew things was all right.
Well--we'd best be gettin' on--no tellin' how soon they may find you're
gone." Once more the big Yankee bowed his back to the task in hand and a
silence fell, broken only by the faint sound of the muffled oars and the
swirl of water along the sides. Not even the thrill of the escape could
keep the two tired boys awake, and it was nearly an hour later that they
were roused by voices calling at no great distance. A tall black mass on
which showed a single moving light rose out of the gloom ahead. The hail
was repeated. "Oh, there, Job Howland--boat ahoy! What luck?" "All's
well," replied Job, and ran in under the ship's counter. A line was let
down and as soon as the skiff was made fast Bob and Jeremy and their
deliverer scrambled up to the open port.

There was shouting and a moving to and fro of lanterns, as they were
ushered into the cabin, and suddenly a tall man, half-clad, burst
through the door at the farther end. He had the tattered form of Bob
Curtis in his arms in an instant, and great boy though he was, the
Delaware lad hugged his father ecstatically and wept.

Job and Jeremy, pleased as they were to see this reunion, were hardly
comfortable in its presence and made a vain attempt to withdraw
gracefully. The merchant was af